Napkin dispenser



April 14, 1959 o. F.vcHAPL|N NAPKIN DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1956 ATTORNEYS April 14, 1959 o. F. cHAPLlN NAPKIN DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1956 INVENTOR. n E c'HAPL/v VL ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 14, 1959 vo. F.`cHAP| 1N NAPKIN DISPENSER ,Filed Aug. 17, 195s INVENTOR. @1 /VER E GHPL//V Arron/VE ys NABKIN DISPENSER :Zellerbach tCorporation, San fFrancisco, .'Calif., L-a 'corsporatronfoff-Neviada This "invention relates "to napkin 'dispensers 'for use in restaurants twhere'itfis desired to zzprovide a supply of napkins ina-sanitary container with aportionfof a-single .napkin exposed on one or more Sideso the containertfor teas'y removal without disarrangingthe vrest of the supply in the container. The invention pertains to the dispensing of off-fold napkins which are folded in a rectangular shape with one end extending beyond the other. A stack of such napkins is retained at both ends by the shape of the container but the short end of the outermost napkin is exposed by an opening through which it may be withdrawn. It is customary to apply spring pressure behind the stack to urge it toward the opening and various means have been devised to relieve this spring pressure when the dispenser is opened to replenish the supply of napkins.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a napkin dispenser of the type referred to with improved means for applying pressure to stacks of napkins in the dispenser, with means for relieving the pressure and retracting the pressure applying means automatically when the dispenser is opened and means to facilitate the replacement of the supply of napkins in the dispenser.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser in the form of a case with means to dispense napkins from its opposite ends in which each end operates independently of the other with respect to the application of pressure and to replenishing of the supply.

Further objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a napkin dispenser em- Y bodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the dispenser case of Fig. 1 showing one end open and one end closed and illustrating the position of pusher plates in both instances which serve to urge a stack of napkins toward the dispensing ends;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a base plate removed from the case showing the napkin trays and parts of the resilient pusher mechanisms;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line lV-IV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line V--V of Fig. 3.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the dispenser is shown as comprising a case 10 with hinged end doors 11 each having an opening 12 through which napkins may be withdrawn. On the bottom of the case is a base plate 13 which is welded or otherwise suitably secured in place and as best illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, serves as a base for support for all of the moving parts of the dispenser. Half napkin trays 14 with curved sidewalls 15 are hinged as at 16, one to each end of the bottom 13. The doors 11 are welded to the half tray 14 so that they swing with it about the hinges 16 nited States ate-nt ICC :and the upper ends .of the ...doors Lcomplete the tray, as ,-bestillustratedat,therighthandsideof Fig. 2n which .aflstack of napkins is received when `the 'door is open. .A .pusher Plate :17 vdisposed behind each .stack of :napkins .and; .i,s pivotallypsupportedpat .the upper .end of ftherusher armlspby means 0f perfonated wings .19.911 .thelnusher .plates .andilat tru 2.0 @see also Fig 3) which project A-ontw.ardly from vthe upper ,ends .of the `vuslfwr arms 1.8 .fhegrusher .arms which .are .substan- 'ltially L-.shapedarehinged .at their lower outer .ends .by Epins .L -1` extending.thfQughmolled sectionsinlthe `armsa11 1 ',alignedfrolled sections orbearingsintheltbottom plate. Resilient means .presently to .be .described are employed to urge each lpusher arm l`-and ,pusher plate l,into @contact .with astackoffnapkns .whenlthejdoor 1,1 listclosedas illustrated .anth'e lefthandsidegof .Eis .1 andtourge the pusher armand pusher zplate ...in :the 9npoSitedrection or .inwarvdly .p of the .case Yas shown `at `the right .hand side `.ofFig '-2 whenthe doorlis open.

20 As .illustrated .in .Eiga .3 and I4. .a Y.small spring ..25 ,is

wound about the hinge pin 21 with one of its endsbearing against the bottom plate 13 and the other end bearing against the pusher arm 18 and tensioned to swing the arm toward its retracted position. In all iigures of the 25 drawing, the closed or dispensing position is illustrated on the left and the open or iilling position is illustrated on the right.

To urge the pusher arms outwardly to compress the napkins when the door 11 is closed, a larger spring 26 (see Figs. 3 and 5) is wound around each of the hinge pins 21 and has a central looped portion 27 underlying the napkin tray 14 and two ends 28 underlying the pusher arms. The spring is tensioned to swing the pusher arm outwardly to the position shown at the left of Figs. 2

and 5. The central looped portion of the spring which is shown at 27 underlies a rolled edge or bead 29 on the bottom of the tray 14 and when the tray and door are swung to their open position, the bottom of the tray moves upwardlyV as shown at the right hand side of Fig.

5 so that the bead 29 is removed from the spring relieving it of the tension which tends to swing the pusher arm and pusher plate outwardly. At this time the weaker spring 25 is effective to swing the pusher arms inwardly to the position which does not obstruct the tray when a new supply of napkins is being inserted. Thus the pusher mechanism is automatically deactivated and retracted when the door is open. When the tray has been lled with napkins and the doors closed, the bead 29 bears against the loop 27 of the spring 26 and since this spring is considerably stronger than the spring 25, it overcomes the action of the latter spring and again moves the pusher plate outwardly.

In Fig. 1, a type of napkin is illustrated at 30 with the outermost napkin ready to be withdrawn through the 5 opening 12. The short end of the foremost napkin is exposed as illustrated at 31 where it may be readily grasped for withdrawing the napkin from the case. The door 11 is latched closed by a latch illustrated at 32 which may be released by depressing the top of the case which is slightly resilient. When the door is opened, it will assume the position illustrated on the right hand side of Fig. 2 presenting a tray for the convenient reception of the napkins to be inserted while the pusher plate is in its withdrawn position.

One of the advantages of the present device over devices previously known `for dispensing napkins of this kind is that the springs for the two pusher plates are entirely separate so that one side of the dispenser may be opened and charged with napkins without in any way 0 disturbing the napkins in the other side and without relieving the pressure which holds them in their proper position.

I claim: 1. A napkin dispenser ofthe character described comprising a case, doors hinged to the lower edges of oppo- 'sitev ends of the case to admit a stack of napkins to each endof the case, said doors having openings through which a napkin may be withdrawn from either stack, a pusher plate'behind each stack of napkins'in the case, Aresilient 'means urging the pusher plate to a retracted position, lstronger resilient means urging the pusher plate to an advanced position fo'r holding the stack of napkins against 10 will cause retraction of the pusher plate to facilitate the 1l placing of a stack of napkins in the case.

2. In a. napkin dispenser, a case, a door hinged to the lower edge of one endf the caseA and having an opening through which napkins in the case may be withdrawn, a

l pusher arm hinged adjacent the bottom of the case, a 20 pusher plate on said arm to engage the stack of napkins, spring means urging the pusher arm inwardly of the case to facilitate placing napkins therein, and other stronger spring means tensioned between the case and the door to urge the pusher arm outwardly when the door is closed and to release the pusher arm when the door is open.

3. A napkin dispenser comprising a case with a door on each end having openings through which napkins may be dispensed, two pusher mechanisms in the case for urging two stacks of napkins therein each toward one of said doors, said pusher mechanisms each having two springs, a rst one to urge the pusher mechanisms toward a retracted position, and a second and stronger one to urge them toward the doors, the second spring being tensioned between the pusher mechanism and a part of the door when it is closed whereby opening of the door relieves its tension andpermits the first spring to retract the pusher mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,349 Krueger Sept. 24, 1929 2,114,935 Parsons Apr. 19, 1938 2,138,692 Broeren et a1. Nov. 29, 1938 

